Masco alum helps rebrand John Harvard restaurant chain

Friday

Dec 30, 2011 at 12:01 AMDec 30, 2011 at 1:24 PM

Tre Lucas, vice president of business optimization for a large hospitality company and a 1997 graduate of Masconomet Regional High School, recently applied newly-acquired marketing concepts to his business environment to breathe new life into a well known restaurant group.

Tre Lucas, vice president of business optimization for a large hospitality company and a 1997 graduate of Masconomet Regional High School, recently applied newly-acquired marketing concepts to his business environment to breathe new life into a well known restaurant group.

After graduating from the College of Charleston, in South Carolina, Tre’s executive potential was spotted by a principal at Centerplate, Stamford, CT, one of the largest hospitality companies in the world, where Tre’s current title is Vice President of Business Optimization. He is also enrolled in Columbia University’s Master of Science in Sports Marketing program.

Lucas was recently tasked with turning around a declining restaurant group, a recent corporate acquisition — five John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House restaurants in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.

Doing his due diligence, he spent many months assessing the operation’s management, facilities, menu, and overall execution. Operations and Finance were the easy part for him. Branding and Marketing were uncharted territory. His most difficult challenge was re-branding—defining who/what the restaurants would be about.

Fortunately, his first corporate brand meeting came right after his first “Marketing Strategy” class with Professor Sandy Becker of the Columbia School of Continuing Education. The class was so on target, Lucas subsequently scheduled his company’s marketing and branding meetings to correspond with the class syllabus.

“I have never had an experience where what I learn in class one day I’m able to apply the next day in a working environment,” he wrote to Professor Becker. “I am very grateful that you not only teach this class, but for the thoughtful manner in which you present the material.”

Lucas must have successfully absorbed the content of Professor Becker’s class, because after presenting the restaurant group brand-positioning package to the executive team, he was given the full go-ahead and $2.5 million to invest in launching the new brand vision.

“Professor Becker impressed on me the importance of brand differentiation. This set me on the path of emphasizing historical ties.”

For the chain of five John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House restaurants, Tre decided that highlighting the brand’s rich history was the way to go. The restaurants are named for John Harvard, who in the 1600’s worked in the family tavern, learning that beer was not only provided sustenance, but played an important role in the social life of family and friends. John Harvard was also a scholar, eventually bequeathing money as well as his personal library to a college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony that would later bear his name.

According to Professor Becker, “Our overall objective is to enable students to become strategic marketing practitioners by applying "lessons-learned" from class discussions to 'real-world' relevant situations. It is very rewarding to see how Tre was able to apply strategic marketing concepts to his business environment. He addressed current day challenges, while developing a sustainable competitive advantage for his organization.”

“Marketing Strategy” is part of the Business Certificate program at the Columbia University School of Continuing Education. The program offers courses for professionals to enhance their skills and advance their careers.

Lucas is the son of Bonnie and Bill Lucas, of Boxford, , who have lived in Boxford for over 20 years.